There has been a presumption that Los Angeles Lakers power forward Pau Gasol would have to go at some point. He hasn’t fit in particularly well with new coach Mike D’Antoni, and with the Lakers well over the luxury tax threshold and well out of the playoff picture, Gasol’s contract would be the best to move in order to limit the team’s looming tax hit.

Even Gasol himself can read the writing on the wall. He told the L.A. Times’ T.J. Simers that he and D’Antoni attempted to make peace at dinner a few weeks ago, but not much came of it.

“It was an effort on our part to try and come to an understanding,” Gasol said, according to the report. “But I don't think it's translated to an understanding. Nothing significant has happened; it’s probably even gone a little backwards.”

At this time last year, Gasol was wringing his hands over having his name thrust into just about every trade rumor that floated out of L.A. But now his initial frustrations with the way this season headed for the Lakers—and with his demotion to the bench—have given way to clarity.

With D’Antoni in place on a five-year contract and center Dwight Howard a target to be re-signed this summer, Gasol doesn’t see much of a place for himself with the Lakers anymore.

“He has his philosophy and system, and the Lakers hired him,” Gasol said. “It’s not his fault. His philosophy is to play with one big guy and four guys spread out, so then he had to make a decision: Dwight or Pau?”

General manager Mitch Kupchak has said that the Lakers are not looking to make any major changes ahead of the Feb. 21 trading deadline, but Gasol is one guy who sounds as though he does not believe that.

At the very least, if Gasol is still with the Lakers after the deadline, he sounds fairly sure he won’t be in L.A. to start next season, not if D’Antoni and Howard are there, too.